Hardy Cactus Opuntia

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Posted by @Cinta on
If you live with snow a few months a year and yearn to have a desert garden but think it is not possible, think again: It is possible. There are many cacti that are cold hardy down to -30 degrees, but I will discuss mainly Opuntia cactus planting, designs, and companion plants that will give the appearance of a desert garden. There are numerous hardy Opuntia cacti that are hardy to -30 degrees and will survive under a foot of snow. When spring arrives for us northern gardeners, the opuntias usually are lying flat and may look dead, but they will plump up and reward you with 4" - 6" peony-form flowers in colors of yellow, pink, peach, and red in June-July.

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GARDEN PREPARATION

Choose an area that is sunny, The more sun, the better. Six hours is best. Start with a layer of gravel about 2" high. Next, cover with potting soil. For this use, it can be the cheapest soil from the Dollar Store or big-box store. Cover the gravel with about 1" of soil. This will give you the proper drainage and just enough soil for your cactus to survive. I have found that, with these dry conditions, there is no need to weed, because even if you do see a weed in these condition, it does not survive for long. Eventually, you will see the weed dying because it is too dry and hot for a weed to survive. Usually, you receive pads in trades or purchases. When you receive your pads, you can lay them flat and they will develop roots from one of the spines, or you can plant the pointed end in the ground and pile some of the gravel around the plant to help it stand up.
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GROWING HARDY OPUNTIA IN POTS

These hardy cacti can be grown in pots on a patio in an apartment. Mix the gravel and potting soil in a ratio of 1:2 -- 1 part gravel, 2 parts soil. Give them as much sun as you can provide. In the fall put them outside or in a cool or cold location and cover them to protect them from winter moisture. Sprinkle water on top of the soil, just enough to moisten the top layer of soil. Do this every 2 months. They need the cold and dry conditions to complete the rest period they need to bloom the next season. Try to avoid breaking the new pads. You will get blooms on the previous year's pads. If you break the new pads and roots, you will risk losing blooms.
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DESIGN/COMPANION PLANTS

Now that we have the garden soil preparation out of the way, we need to design the desert garden for interest throughout the seasons.

Let's start with garden plants that will make your desert garden appealing. Start with some spring bulbs. Scatter some Grape Hyacinths around. When I plant my bulbs, I use Dollar Store decorative rocks, sprinkled on top of the buried bulbs to let me know where the bulbs are. This way, when I plant the cacti, I am aware of where the bulbs are planted and I plant my pads about 1" -2" beside and around the bulbs. Next, you could add a colorful groundcover -- hardy Sedum. Tri-color sedum Angelina is a beautiful sedum, For all-season color, there are tall sedums that vary in height from 4 inches to 8 inches tall. Some have variegated leaves, colorful spring to fall, and flowers in the fall. Yuccas are another attractive plant for this style of garden. Yucca Color Guard is a great plant for color.

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Finally, don't forget to add the jewelry: desert pottery, terracotta chips, etc. Let your mind wander down the desert path.
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Suggested companion plants:
Sedum (Petrosedum rupestre subsp. rupestre 'Angelina')
Two-Row Stonecrop (Phedimus spurius 'Voodoo')
Two-Row Stonecrop (Phedimus spurius 'Elizabeth')
Stonecrop (Hylotelephium telephium subsp. telephium 'Purple Emperor')
Stonecrop (Hylotelephium erythrostictum 'Frosty Morn')
Sedum (Hylotelephium sieboldii)
Stonecrop (Hylotelephium 'Vera Jameson')
Two-Row Stonecrop (Phedimus spurius 'Schorbuser Blut')
Jenny's Stonecrop (Petrosedum rupestre subsp. rupestre 'Blue Spruce')

 
Comments and Discussion
Thread Title Last Reply Replies
Hardy Cactus Opuntia by valleylynn Nov 20, 2015 6:48 PM 43

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